EP0107868B1

EP0107868B1 - Ball valve with rotary-translatory movement for fluid products at very high or very low temperature

Info

Publication number: EP0107868B1
Application number: EP83200748A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giorgio Bormioli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-10-27
Filing date: 1983-05-26
Publication date: 1986-09-17
Also published as: US4509718A; IT8223948A0; DE3366230D1; IT1155408B; EP0107868A1

Description

The present invention relates to a ball valve with rotary-translatory movement for fluid products at very high or very low temperature.
It is known that to assure a perfect seal of a ball valve at very high or very low temperature (such as those caused by the passage of fluids at corresponding temperature) is generally a serious problem.
A valid system is to give the ball not only the usual rotary movement, but also the translatory one, so as to make easy the first movement, but at the same time to assure, with the second movement, the due seal coupling against the fixed seat.
In such case it is not simple to realize an operating mechanism which allows the most suitable sequence of movements and on the other hand it is required that the chosen sequence can be executed by action on a single control member.
US-A-4029292 discloses a ball valve structure in which the ball member is passed through by an eccentric portion of a pivot shaft and is further provided with connecting means engaged with said eccentric portion in such a way that a closing rotation of the pivot shaft causes firstly an integral rotation of the ball member and the pivot shaft and secondly a translatory movement of the ball member. An opposite sequence of movements is obviously caused by an opening rotation of the pivot shaft.
A drawback of this known art is that a special construction of the valve member is necessary to accommodate the eccentric portion of the pivot shaft and the connecting means.
The object of the present invention is to realize a ball valveforfluid products at very high orvery low temperature, which provides a suitable combination of rotation and translation movements under the control of a single actuating member without requesting a special construction of the valve member.
According to the invention such an object has been reached by means of a ball with rotary-translatory movement, comprising a duct section which can be passed through by a fluid product, a ball which can be moved to closing and opening positions with sequential movements of rotation and translation and a control device able to cause everyone of said sequential movements through the continuous rotation of a single control shaft, said control device comprising a first rotating body integral with said control shaft, a second rotating body and connection and release means, which are responsive to a closing rotation of said control shaft to firstly keep said rotating bodies integral with each other and then to stop said second rotating body and to free said first rotating body therefrom, and viceversa when an opening rotation of said control shaft occurs, characterized in that said ball is fixed to a hub mounted on said second rotating body for rotation therewith and radial translation with respect thereto, the hub supporting a slide which is freely rotatable on an eccentric appendix of said first rotating body.
In such a way, in a valve structure based on a conventional valve member of spherical shape a continuous rotation of a single control shaft causes the sequential execution of two really different movements, and above all a final (if in closing operation) or initial (if in opening operation) movement of translation which allows to realize (with closed valve) a condition of perfect seal even if in theoretically unsuitable situations such as those of very high or very low work temperature. This would not be evidently possible if the final (or initial) translation was accompanied by a contemporaneous rotating component.
These and other features of the present invention will be made evident by the following detailed description of a possible embodiment illustrated by way of non-limitative example in the enclosed drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows an axial section a ball valve according to the invention, seen in opening position;
Figs. 2 and 3 show details of said valve, respectively in section along lines II-II and III-III of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 shows in axial section said valve, seen in intermediate position of rotation without translation;
Figs. 5 and 6 show the same details of Figs. 2 and 3, respectively in section along lines V-V and VI-VI of Fig. 4;
Fig. 7 shows in axial section said valve, seen in closing position;
Figs. 8 and 9 show the same details of Figs. 2 and 3, as well as 5 and 6, respectively in section along lines VIII-VIII and IX-IX of Fig. 7;
Figs. 10, 11 and 12 show, in transversal section to the rotation axis of the ball, the control device comprised in said valve, respectively in the closing, intermediate rotation without translation and closing positions.

Making now references to Figs. 1-2, there is illustrated an embodiment of the present invention, which inside a fixed outer body 51 realized in the shape of a duct section and provided with opposite holes or mouths 52 and 53 for the inlet and outlet of the fluid product houses a control member or "ball" 54 with sequential movement of rotation and translation.
The "ball" 54 is formed by an approximatively spherical body 55 with through-hole 56, which is rotatable around an axis perpendicular to the axis of the hole 56 and of the outer body or duct section 51 between the opening position of Fig. 1 and that, rotated of 90°, illustrated in Fig. 4. As it will be seen later, the ball 54 is also capable to translate in a direction transverse to the axis of its through-hole 56, from the back position of Fig. 4 to the advanced or closure position of Fig. 7. In this latter position the ball body sealtight engages with an annular gasket 60 fitted in a corresponding annular recess of a fixed seat 57 realized at the inlet (or outlet) 52 of the duct section 51.
The two ball movements (rotation and translation) are controlled in sequence through two rotating coaxial bodies which, doubled for support and symmetry purposes on the opposite part of the ball, are respectively constituted by an inner shaft 62 and by an outer sleeve 61, coaxially disposed inside a fixed tubular structure 64. More precisely, the ball 54 is made integral, from diametrally opposite parts, with a pair of cylindrical hubs 63 everyone of which is linked for the rotation to the above mentioned outer sleeve 61 through the engagement of two shoulders 81 integral with the hub 63 with rectilinear bevels 82 of the end of the sleeve 61 (Figs. 2, 5 and 8). At the same time, always through the above mentioned engagement, the hub 63 is radially made translatory with respect to the sleeve 61, this time under the control of an eccentric appendix 83 of the inner shaft 62, on which there is rotatably mounted a rectangular slide 84 (Figs. 3, 6 and 9) slidingly, but not rotatably, housed in a corresponding cavity 85 of the hub 63. Springs 86 react between a front wall 87 of the slide 84 and the near end of the cavity 85 to yieldingly stress the hub 63 to a position radially moved with respect to the shaft 62 for the purposes which will be clarified later on. A rib 70 connects the appendix 83 with its diametrally opposed counterpart, so as to assure the due movement identity.
The rotation of the inner shaft 62 and the outer sleeve 61 is driven by a control device, which is illustrated in Figs. 10-12 and includes a control shaft 88 integral with the inner shaft 62. As shown, the control shaft 88 becomes integral or not with the outer sleeve 61, which in its turn can become integral or not with the fixed structure 64, according to the position of a shaped panel 72 housed in an opening 73 of the sleeve wall and alternately movable between a radially withdrawn position in which it is partially housed in an axial cavity 74 of the shaft 62 (Figs. 10 and 11) and a radially projecting position in which it is partially housed in a similar axial cavity 75 of the fixed structure 64 (Fig. 12). In order to limit the rotation strokes of the sleeve 61 and the shaft 62, an axial pin 78 integral with the fixed structure 64 passes through a circular slot 79 (about 90° of extension) of the sleeve 61 and a radial pin 76 integral with the sleeve 61 partially extends into a peripheral slot 77 of the inner shaft 62 (about 90° also).
From all of this the following way of operation of the valve illustrated in Figs. 1-12 results.
In the opening position of Fig. 1 the ball 54 has its own spherical body 55 moved away from the annular gasket 60 and disposed with the through hole 56 aligned with the axis of the duct section 51. The hub 63 and the slide 83, as well as their diametrally opposed counterparts, are in their turn in the respective positions illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The control device is finally in the position of Fig. 10, with the pawl 72 partially fitted in the cavity 74 of the shaft 62, which is therefore made integral with the sleeve 61.
Starting from this position, a first clockwise rotation angle (looking at Fig. 10) of the control shaft 88 causes the integral rotation of the shaft 62 and of the sleeve 61 from the position of Fig. 10 to the position of Fig. 11. The result is that the slide 84 and the hub 63 in their turn rotate integrally with the sleeve 61, moving from the position of Figs. 2 and 3 to that of Figs. 5 and 6. The ball 54 correspondingly rotates (without translation) around the common axis of the shaft 62 and of the sleeve 61 from the opening position of Fig. 1 to the intermediate one of Fig. 4, where the through hole 56 is directed perpendicular to the axis of the duct section 51 but the spherical body 55 is still moved away from the gasket 60. The valve is therefore still open, but ready for the final closure. The position of Figs. 4―6 is reached when the pin 78 abuts with the downstream end of the slot 79, thus preventing the further clockwise rotation of the sleeve 61. Such situation is shown in Fig. 11.
As the clockwise rotation of the control shaft 88 and of the integral inner shaft 62 is going on, the pawl 72 receives from the lateral wall of the axial cavity 74 a radial outwardly directed thrust which allows it to fit itself in the fixed cavity 75, in front of which the same pawl in the meantime is arrived (Fig. 12). The sleeve 61 is thus released from the inner shaft 62, and therefore from the control shaft 88, and on the contrary is made integral with the fixed structure 64. The result is that, being unchanged the angular position of the slide 84 and of the hub 63, and consequently of the ball 54, the eccentric appendix 83 continues its rotation, causing the radial sliding of the slide 84 and of the hub 63 with respect to the-sleeve 61 and therefore causing the final translation (without rotation) of the ball 54 up to the engagement position of the spherical body 55 with the annular gasket 60, that is up to the closing position of the Fig. 7. By reaching such a position, as shown in Fig. 9, the abutment between the spherical body 55 and the gasket 60 creates a relative sliding between the slide 84 and the hub 63, by the effect of which the springs 86 charge, assuring the spherical body 55 the due sealing pressure against the gasket 60; besides this compensates possible sizing imperfections, progressive wear and so on. The described movement finally ends when the pin 76 integral with the sleeve 61 has passed through the whole extension of the slot 77 of the shaft 62, as illustrated in Fig. 12.
For the opening of the valve evidently one operates in the opposite direction, that is one rotates counterclockwise the control shaft 88 to firstly cause the counterclockwise rotation of the inner shaft 62 for the consequent movement of translation of the ball 54 from the closing position of Fig. 7 to the intermediate one of Fig. 4, and then the integral rotation, counterclockwise too, of the inner shaft 62 and of the outer sleeve 61 for the consequent movement of rotation of the ball 54 from the intermediate position of Fig. 4 to the opening one of Fig. 1.
As seen, a single control is able to cause the valve closure through a first movement of mere rotation and a second movement of mere translation (and viceversa for the opening). This allows the perfect operation of the valve, particularly its perfect seal in closing position, also in very high or very low temperature conditions.

Claims

1. Ball valve with rotary-translatory movement for fluid products at very high or very low temperature, comprising a duct section (51) which can be passed through by a fluid product, a ball (54) which can be moved to closing and opening positions with sequential movements of rotation and translation and a control device (88, 61, 62, 64, 72) able to cause everyone of said sequential movements through the continuous rotation of a single control shaft (88), said control device comprising a first rotating body (62) integral with said control shaft (88), a second rotating body (61) and connection and release means (72, 74, 75), which are responsive to a closing rotation of said control shaft (88) to firstly keep said rotating bodies (62, 61) integral with each other and to then stop said second rotating body (61) and to free said first rotating body (62) therefrom, and viceversa when an opening rotation of said control shaft (88) occurs, characterized in that said ball (54) is fixed to a hub (63) mounted on said second rotating body (61) for rotation therewith and radial translation with respect thereto, the hub supporting a slide (84) which is freely rotatable on an eccentric appendix (83) of said first rotating body (62).

2. Ball valve according to claim 1, characterized in that there are provided elastic means (86) interposed between said hub (63) and said slide (84) in order to yieldingly move said spherical body (55) towards a corresponding sealing seat (57) of said duct section (51) when said ball (54) is in closing position.

3. Ball valve according to claim 1, characterized in that said first rotating body (62) is constituted by an inner shaft integral with said control shaft (88) and said second rotating shaft (61) is constituted by a sleeve placed coaxially outside said inner shaft (62) and inside a fixed structure (64), said connection and release means (72, 74, 75) comprising a pawl (72) housed in a radial opening (73) of the wall of said sleeve (61) and alternatively movable between a radially withdrawn position in which it is partially inserted in a corresponding cavity (74) of said inner shaft (62) for the connection of said sleeve (61) with said control shaft (88) and a radially projecting position in which said pawl (72) is outside said cavity (74) of the inner shaft (62) and partially inserted in a corresponding cavity (75) of said fixed structure (64) for the release of said control shaft (88) and the locking of the same sleeve (61) with respect to said fixed structure (64).

4. Ball valve according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises means (76, 77, 78, 79) for limiting the beginning and the end of the rotation strokes of said sleeve (61) with respect to the fixed structure (64) and of said inner shaft (62) with respect to said sleeve (61).

5. Ball valve according to claim 4, characterized in that said limiting means (76, 77, 78, 79) are constituted by pins (78, 76) incorporated in said fixed structure (64) and in said sleeve (61) and partially extending in respective slots (79, 77) of said sleeve (61) and of said inner shaft (62).